Category: Obstetrician

New moms may think they are ready to tackle anything once they’re at home with their sweet baby. After all, they have been through nine months of ups and downs, difficult sleeping, and morning sickness. Now that they have given birth, it should be smooth sailing, right?

There are some common health issues for new mothers, so it’s best to be prepared both physically and emotionally to handle what may come next.

Pregnancy is a joyful time for moms-to-be, but as you decorate the nursery and plan for the baby’s arrival, don’t forget to take precautions to prevent prenatal infections. They can be dangerous for both mother and baby.

I am terribly sorry that the comment may seem unsympathetic, but it was taken out of context during the edit of the interview which took well over half hour. The editors took out majority of the scientific and informative discussions and only chose a phrase presented out of context to portray a sense of lack of empathy within the medical community. I assure all of you that I take every concern my patients may have to heart and take them seriously. I believe that women have an uncanny ability to suspect problems in their bodies and over the years have come to trust that intuition. Having said that, my heart goes out to those who have experienced any wrong doing. I can only speak of my experience with my own patients and those of my colleagues with whom I have a close professional relationship. Essure in my experience has been one of the safest procedures and our patients are happy with the outcome. That is not to say that it is risk free. Everything we do in medicine carries a baseline risk. But we only recommend it if the benefits out way the risks. With regard to any complications, each case has to be evaluated individually. Placement of these devices, the way the procedure is performed, and choosing the right candidates, and proper follow ups play a significant role in the out come of this or any medical procedure. We cannot make a blank statement that it must be the device causing every problem in the book. “You have to take things with a grain of salt.” If someone is suffering from an ensuing infection after the procedure, it most probably is due to failure in following established aseptic techniques during the operation. This is a common concern with any procedure. The alloy used in making this device has been used in medicine for years. You find them in heart valve replacements and have been used in heart catheters around the world. It was not invented for this device. If a patient has an allergic reaction to the implants, it is not the device that we should pull off the market, it is the physician’s clinical judgment that we have to question.

Birth defects sometimes happen, but there are things prospective parents can do to give themselves the best chance to have a healthy baby. January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, and it’s an opportune time to help people get the facts about healthy pregnancies and birth defects prevention.

Not all birth defects can be prevented. But there are things you can do—like getting exercise and making nutritious food choices—that can increase your chances for a healthy pregnancy. Most people know to avoid tobacco and alcohol. But did you know that kitty litter may cause a problem during pregnancy? Check out this list of things to avoid and what’s okay if you’re pregnant.

1. 50,000 Baby Names

If you can’t decide on a baby name for your little one, the 50,000 Baby Names app allows you to search by meaning, gender and popularity.

2. Happy Pregnancy

The Happy Pregnancy app, which is free for both iPhone and Android, tracks the details of your pregnancy, including weight gain and fetal development. Trying to conceive? This app also gives users the ability to track ovulation.

3. Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

Available on the iPhone, this app helps you plan a healthy pregnancy. It neatly categorizes food and drinks, making eating out and grocery shopping easy.

4. Pregnancy ++

This app, available for both iPhone and Android, has everything you need for pregnancy. Track your weight, fetal development and make a nursery shopping list all in one app.

5. Pregnancy Care (Prenatal Care)

Yoga is one of the best exercises you can do during pregnancy. This app gives you yoga sequences for all three trimesters of your pregnancy.

6. BabyCenter: My Pregnancy Today

Track your baby’s development day by day. You can also get information on symptoms and nutrition during pregnancy.

7. Pregnancy Companion

This pregnancy app, available for both iPhone and Android, provides expecting mothers with everything they need for a healthy, happy pregnancy. Ask doctors pregnancy questions straight from the app, use the drug safety checker for information on medications and stay organized with the pregnancy and labor planning tool.

Consult your physician for more information on iPhone and Android apps for pregnancy.

The first trimester of your pregnancy comes with a lot of emotions; happiness, nausea, nerves and, for most women, extreme exhaustion. Here are five ways to beat that exhaustion and enjoy your first trimester!

1. Take Naps

Taking a nap may seem like a luxury after a certain age, but it’s important when you’re in your first trimester. A few extra minutes a day can make everyday tasks easier and less tiring. Don’t take lengthy naps or you will get most likely wake up more exhausted.

2. Load up on iron and protein

Consuming a good amount of iron and protein are important to a healthy pregnancy for many reasons. Not only will it give your baby the nutrients he or she need to grow healthy, but eating spinach, eggs, beans and meats will give you more energy throughout the day.

3. Stay Hydrated

Being dehydrated can increase your fatigue. Avoid caffeinated drinks and sugary drinks because they actually dehydrate you more.

4. Stay Active and Exercise

Push through the fatigue when possible and get some light exercise. Exercising increases your circulation and improves oxygen intake, both of which help with feeling fatigued.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

In order to get that extra 20 minutes of sleep, you may need to ask your partner, parents, friends or family for help with everyday tasks. Getting help with every day tasks can save your energy for when you really need it.

Finding out you are having twins is an exciting, but somewhat overwhelming feeling. Many mothers wonder how different twin pregnancies are than singleton pregnancies. Check out these five facts about twin pregnancy that a lot of people don’t know!

1. Twins have a lower birth weight, but the mothers gain more weight throughout pregnancy.

Carrying two babies causes women to gain more weight during pregnancy. Women who are a normal weight should aim to gain about 37-54 pounds throughout the pregnancy as opposed to 25 to 35.

2. Extra Folic Acid is a necessity when you are having two babies

Folic acid helps reduce the chance of birth defects, such as spina bifida. The amount you need increases with each baby you are carrying. One milligram of folic acid is the recommended amount for twin pregnancies.

3. The chance of delivering early is higher with twins

More often than not, moms carrying twins go into labor around week 36 or 37. Though most women get concerned when they deliver early, if a baby is born after week 34, there isn’t a reason for concern. Even if babies are born after 34 weeks, there is still a chance the baby will be born at a low birth weight.

4. Morning sickness is more common with twin pregnancies

Morning sickness is caused by the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, which is higher during twin pregnancies. Even if women experience more morning sickness in their first trimester, the feeling subsides around week 12 or 14.

5. There is a higher chance or conceiving twins naturally in your 30s and 40s.

Conceiving when you are older may increase the chance of a twin pregnancy. Ovulation patterns change as you get older, which means there is a possibility you could be ovulating two follicles at the same time when you’re older.

Christopher and Amanda Canfield of Newhall with their new baby, Luke, born at 10:10am on 10.10.10 at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. (David Crane/Staff Photographer - DailyNews LA)

Born at exactly 10:10am on October 10th, 2012, Luke Canfield came into the world just on time. His mother suffered from epilepsy for years before Luke’s birth and had been on over 20 different medications making Luke’s birth truly a miraculous event.

Dr. Kossari said “She came in last night, we sent her walking for a little while to see if she was in labor or not and she was. She got admitted. Even then I still didn’t expect her to deliver this fast, this quickly, this easily.”

Doctors had told Luke’s mother, age 30, that it was very unlikely that she would get pregnant because of all of the medications that she takes for epilepsy.

Dr. Sean Kossari stops in to visit Christopher and Amanda Canfield of Newhall with their new baby, Luke, born at 10:10 a.m. on 10.10.10 at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. Kossari delivered the baby. (David Crane/Staff Photographer)